1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an input object selector mounted, for example, in an information terminal watch and used for entering characters in a handy information device and a wrist information device equipped with the input object selector, and to an input object selection method.
2. Background Art
For an information device, such as an information terminal watch, a handy telephone or a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), that is carried by or attached to a user, a reduction is desired in the space required for mounting an operating unit for entering characters and for selecting functions.
Various conventional techniques (e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 7-152469) have been disclosed for reducing the space needed when mounting an operating unit for entering characters; for example, one technique, which is used for handy telephones, calls for the use of a touch panel on which the individual keys of a set of ten are allocated for multiple characters and functions, and when a desired character or function is to be selected, an assigned key must be depressed multiple times, while with another technique, keys are allocated in accordance with their various levels, and to bring up a desired character, one of a limited number of keys at a higher level, a key that controls the allocation of subordinate keys, is depressed to activate multiple keys at the next level, and this process is repeated sequentially until finally the key is depressed that individually represents the character or character string for which the sequence was initiated.
For example, to input cursive kana characters (hiragana), a desired character must be selected from among more than 50 hiragana characters. With a touch panel that has a satisfactorily large area, such as one that is provided for a car navigation device, required character input efficiency is obtained. However, when the area available for making a choice on a touch panel is small, about the size of a finger tip, as it is on an information terminal watch, only a small number of objects can be presented on a screen for a user""s selection. Moreover, for a user to make a final selection of one of multiple input objects, there is a drastic increase in the time required to make that selection, accompanied by a considerable reduction in operating efficiency. When keys are to be used for the selection of input objects, the need for smooth operation of the keys dictates that the keys, at the least, have a predetermined size and be separated by predetermined intervals, so that as a result the space required for a ten-key arrangement is increased. Further, if instead, the number of keys is reduced, the number of times a user must depress the various keys when preparing correspondence is increased, and operating efficiency again suffers.
It is, therefore, one object of the invention to provide an input object selector for which installation in a small space presents no problems and for which satisfactory operating efficiency is ensured, even when overall the number of input objects is increased, a handy information device and a wrist information device on which the input object selector is mounted, and an input object selection method.
To achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the invention, an input object selector comprises:
a linear contact portion, which is linearly extended within a predetermined range, that a user can contact with a finger and along which the user can slide the finger, in the direction in which the linear contact portion is extended, to an arbitrary location;
a contact detector, for detecting the contact of the linear contact portion by the finger and identifying the location that is contacted;
first correlation means, for correlating, in a predetermined order (hereinafter referred to as a xe2x80x9cpredetermined order Axe2x80x9d), multiple input objects with locations arranged at first intervals in the direction in which the linear contact portion is extended (hereinafter, the correlation effected by the first correlation means is referred to as a xe2x80x9cfirst correlationxe2x80x9d);
range detection means, for detecting an order range (hereinafter referred to as an xe2x80x9corder range Bxe2x80x9d) wherein an input object, which is correlated by the first correlation with a start location whereat the finger first contacted the linear contact portion, is included, and in accordance with the predetermined order A multiple input objects are included;
second correlation means, for correlating, in accordance with the predetermined order A, the input objects within the order range B with locations along the linear contact portion that are arranged at second intervals that are greater than the first intervals (hereinafter, the correlation by the second correlation means is referred to as a xe2x80x9csecond correlationxe2x80x9d);
correlated input object detection means, for detecting, when the location whereat the finger contacts the linear contact portion is changed during a period extending from when the finger first contacted the linear contact portion until the contact was removed (hereinafter referred to as a xe2x80x9cfinger contact periodxe2x80x9d), an input object that is correlated by the second correlation with a location along the linear contact portion currently contacted by the finger; and
input determination means, for determining as current user input the input object that is detected at a contact end location by the input object detection means.
According to a second aspect of the invention, a handy information device includes an input object selector as disclosed according to the first aspect of the invention.
According to a third of the invention, a wrist information device includes an input object selector as disclosed according to the first and second aspects of the invention.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, an input object selection method comprises the steps of:
preparing a linear contact portion, which is linearly extended within a predetermined range, that a user can contact with a finger and along which the user can slide the finger, in the direction in which the linear contact portion is extended, to an arbitrary location, and a contact detector, for detecting the contact of the linear contact portion by the finger and identifying the location that is contacted;
correlating, in a predetermined order (hereinafter referred to as a xe2x80x9cpredetermined order Axe2x80x9d), multiple input objects with locations arranged at first intervals in the direction in which the linear contact portion is extended (hereinafter, the correlation effected by the first correlation means is referred to as a xe2x80x9cfirst correlationxe2x80x9d);
detecting an order range (hereinafter referred to as an xe2x80x9corder range Bxe2x80x9d) wherein an input object, which is correlated by the first correlation with a start location whereat the finger first contacted the linear contact portion, is included, and in accordance with the predetermined order A multiple input objects are included;
for correlating, in accordance with the predetermined order A, the input objects within the order range B with locations along the linear contact portion that are arranged at second intervals that are greater than the first intervals (hereinafter, the correlation by the second correlation means is referred to as a xe2x80x9csecond correlationxe2x80x9d);
detecting, when the location whereat the finger contacts the linear contact portion is changed during a period extending from when the finger first contacted the linear contact portion until the contact was removed (hereinafter referred to as a xe2x80x9cfinger contact periodxe2x80x9d), an input object that is correlated by the second correlation with a location along the linear contact portion currently contacted by the finger; and
determining as current user input the input object that is detected at a contact end location by the input object detection means.
Various other objects, features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will become more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views.